Apparatus for supporting articles in a dishwasher

ABSTRACT

A wheeled basket for supporting articles in a dishwasher so that the basket rolls on a horizontal track and can be pulled out for loading and unloading and can be pushed into the dishwasher for the washing operation in which a pair of wheels is located on each side of the basket and with each pair of wheels being vertically spaced to engage opposite sides of a supporting guide track that forms a part of the dishwasher, a pair of levers each movable about a fulcrum on the basket at a lateral side with each lever rotatably carrying a wheel spaced from the corresponding fulcrum, a linkage of fixed length interconnecting the levers at areas spaced from the fulcrums and with the levers being movable in vertical planes about their fulcrums for changing the vertical elevation of the wheels while still maintaining the vertical spacing between each pair of wheels. The invention also includes multiple spaced retainers on each side of the basket for holding the levers in adjusted position so that the vertical spacing of the pair of wheels on each side of the basket will be maintained until the levers are changed to a new setting. This varying of the vertical positions of the pair of wheels regulates the elevation of the basket in the dishwasher and permits the basket to accommodate articles of various height.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Victor W. Cuthbert Sodus, Mich. [21] Appl. No. 10,252 [22] Filed Feb. 10, 1970 [45] Patented Oct. 19, 1971 [73] Assignee Whirlpool Corporation [54] APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING ARTICLES IN A DISHWASHER 10 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 312/351 [51] Int. Cl... A47b 88/04 [50] Field of Search 312/312, 351, 272, 311, 341, 346;211l41,106,153,151, 162, 46, 49, 49.5; 134/165 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,352,431 11/1967 Smith 312/351 3,397,934 8/1968 Dushek 312/351 3,472,573 10/1969 Geiger 312/351 .Primary Examiner-James T. McCall Attorneys-James S. Nettleton, Thomas E. Turcotte, Burton H. Baker, Gene A. Heth, Franklin C. Harter, Anthony Niewyk, Robert L. Judd and Hofgren, Wegner, Allen, Stellman and McCord ABSTRACT: A wheeled basket for supporting articles in a dishwasher so that the basket rolls on a horizontal track and can be pulled out for loading and unloading and can be pushed into the dishwashergfor the washing operation in which a pair of wheels is located on each side of the basket and with each pair of wheels being vertically spaced to engage opposite sides of a supporting guide track that forms a part of the dishwasher, a pair of levers each movable about a fulcrum on the basket at a lateral side with each lever rotatably carrying a wheel spaced from the corresponding fulcrum, a linkage of fixed length interconnecting the levers at areas spaced from the fulcrums and with the levers being movable in vertical planes about their fulcrums for changing the vertical elevation of the wheels while still maintaining the vertical spacing between each pair of wheels. The invention also includes multiple spaced retainers on each side of the basket for holding the levers in adjusted position so that the vertical spacing of the pair of wheels on each side of the basket will be maintained until the levers are changed to a new setting. This varying of the vertical positions of the pair of wheels regulates the elevation of the basket in the dishwasher and permits the basket to accommodate articles of various height.

PATENTEDUCT 19 an 3.614.187

FIG?) INVENTOR. VICTOR W. CUTHBERT M,/ M, 441, JMM IM BY 7 ATTORNEYS.

APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING ARTICLES IN A DISHWASHER SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION One of the features of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus for supporting articles in a dishwasher including a basket movable on side tracks by the engagement of a pair of wheels on each side of the basket adapted to engage the upper and lower edges of a track together with an improved lever system for varying the position of the pair of wheels simultaneously and thereby varying the elevation of the basket in the dishwasher while maintaining the spacing of each pair of wheels for all positions thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of a dishwasher basket and the side wheel mounting of this invention with the basket itself being broken away for clarity of illustration.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the basket of the embodiment of FIG. 1 showing the pair of wheels on the near side of the basket in one adjusted position.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but illustrating the pair of wheels in another adjusted position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings the dishwasher open basket is of the customary wire construction with wide spaces being provided between the sets of cross wires 11 and 12 so as to provide ample support for the dishes (not shown) but to permit ready penetration of washing solution during the dishwashing operation. Baskets of this type are, of course, customary in automatic dishwashers.

As is also customary, the bottom 13 of the basket carries a rotatable spray arm 14 that is adapted to be rotated by the force of water flowing therethrough to spray the bottom of the basket 13 and dishes contained therein.

The basket 10 has opposite lateral sides 15 and mounted on each side is a pair of supporting wheels 16 and 17 that are vertically spaced as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 in that the axes of rotation of the two wheels lie in vertically spaced horizontal planes.

Each pair of wheels 16 and 17 is so spaced in order to engage the opposite sides of a horizontal supporting guide track 18 each of which is mounted on a sidewall 19 of the dishwasher. Each track 18 has upper 20 and lower2l rounded edges for retaining a wheel 16' and 17, respectively during the horizontal movement of thebasket 10. Each wheel 16 and 17 at a side of the basket is mounted on a lever. Thus in the illustrated embodiment the upper wheel 16 on each side is mounted on a lever 22 that is arcuately movable in a vertical plane about a fulcrum 23 at the rear of the basket 10 and the other wheel 17 on each side is mounted on a lever 24 that is also movable in a vertical plane about its fulcrum 25. As can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 the fulcrum 23 for the top lever 22 is located adjacent the rear 26 of the basket while the bottom fulcrum is located forwardly of the basket rear and at the bottom 13 of the basket. Thus the lever 22 which carries the wheel 16 extends forwardly of its fulcrum 23 while the lever 24 which carries the other wheel 17 extends rearwardly of its fulcrum 25 lnterconnecting the two levers 22 and 24 on each side of the basket is a link 27 of fixed length in which the upper end of the link is rotatably connected at 28 to the upper lever 22 and the lower end of the link is rotatably connected at 29 to the lower lever 24.

In order to adjust the vertical position of levers 22 and 24 the upper lever 22 is extended or elongated to provide a manipulating handle 30.

Located at each side 15 of the basket 10 are means for releasably retaining at least one of the said pair of levers 22 and 24 in a selected one of a plurality of positions in order to adjust the position of the side wheels 16 and 17 to the basket and thus the position of the basket itself to the side supporting guide tracks 18. In the embodiment illustrated this retaining means on each side of the basket comprises a vertical retainer 31 fixed to each side of the basket and including vertically spaced downwardly opening hook portions 32 with the result that a lever handle 30 is retained by the weight of the basket and its contents in engagement with one of the hook portions 32 to which it has been moved. In the embodiment of FIG. 2 the two side lever handles 30 are retained by the topmost hook portions 32 so that the basket 10 is at its lowest elevation throughout the range of adjustment of the levers 22 and 24. In the embodiment of FIG. 3 the side lever handles 30 have been moved to engage hook portions that are lower down so that the basket 10 is in a raised position from the position of FIG. 2.

In the illustrated embodiment the two side levers 22 are interconnected by a transverse portion 33 to provide a generally U-shaped lever system. Similarly, the lower pair of side levers 24 are integral with a transverse wide portion 34 that provides the U-shaped structure for the side levers 24.

In the illustrated embodiment the link 27 on each side of the basket 10 is pivotally connected as described to each lever and this point of connection is substantially the same distance from the respective wheel for each lever. Thus the distance from the rotatable connection 28 to the axis of rotation of wheel 16 is substantially the same as the distance between the connection 29 and the axis of wheel 17. In addition, each pair of wheels 16 and 17 are spaced substantially equal distances from their respective fulcrums 23 and 25. Accordingly, the basket 10 remains substantially level over the range of vertical adjustment.

As can be seen from the above description of one embodiment of the invention the pairs of supporting wheels on opposite sides of the dishrack basket can be easily adjusted to a desired vertical position relative to the basket so that the elevated position of the basket relative to the supporting tracks 18 and thus to the interior of the dishwasher can be easily regulated. This regulating permits ready accommodation of articles of widely varying dimensions within the interior of the dishwasher. Furthermore, this vertical adjustment of the dishrack basket is readily accomplished without removing the basket from the interior of the dishwasher because the adjusting levers are readily available from the interior of the dishwasher for adjusting movement. In addition, the adjusting mechanism can be very easily operated without requiring alignment of the basket with respect to a fixed frame as is true in the adjusting mechanisms that have been proposed heretofore. Also, the vertical height of the basket may be adjusted not only while the basket is within the dishwasher as already mentioned but also while the basket is loaded with dishes. Another very real advantage of this invention is that the suspension mechanism with the vertically spaced retainers 32 pennits a greater degree of adjustment in the vertical direction and, in fact, a greater degree than has been possible heretofore.

Having described my invention as related to the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, it is my intention that the invention be not limited by any of the details of description, unless otherwise specified, but rather be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as set out in the appended claims.

lclaim:

1. Apparatus for supporting articles in a dishwasher, comprising: an open basket having opposite lateral sides; a pair of wheels on each said side with each pair of wheels vertically spaced to engage opposite sides of a supporting guide track that fonns a part of said dishwasher; a pair of levers each movable about a fulcrum at a said lateral side and each lever rotatably carrying a wheel spaced from the corresponding fulcrum; linkage means of fixed length interconnecting said levers at areas spaced from said fulcrum for maintaining said vertical spacing of the wheels on moving said levers about their said fulcrums to adjust the position of said pair of wheels relative to their said basket side; and means for releasably retaining one of said levers in a selected one of a plurality of positions.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said one lever is elongated beyond said means for releasably retaining to provide a manipulating handle.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said linkage means comprises a link pivotally connected to each lever at the same distance from the respective wheels.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the corresponding levers on said opposite lateral sides are interconnected by a transverse portion at said fulcrum to provide a U-shaped lever system.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for releasably retaining comprises a vertical retainer on each side having a plurality of vertically spaced retainer portions for engagement by said one lever.

6. The apparatus of claim I wherein said one lever is elongated beyond said means t'or releasably retaining to provide a manipulating handle and the corresponding levers on said opposite lateral sides are interconnected by a transverse portion LII at said fulcrum to provide a U-shaped lever system.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said linkage means comprises a link pivotally connected to each lever at the same distance from the respective wheels.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said means for releasably retaining comprises a vertical retainer on each side having a plurality of vertically spaced retainer portions for engagement by said one lever.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said wheels are spaced substantially equal distances from their respective fulcrums.

10. Apparatus for supporting articles in a dishwasher, comprising: an open basket having opposite lateral sides; a pair of wheels on each said side with each pair of wheels vertically spaced to engage opposite sides of a supporting guide track that forms a part of said dishwasher; support means for each pair of wheels including means to simultaneously adjust the vertical position of both of said pairs of wheels with respect to said basket; and means retaining said support means in any one of a plurality of positions. 

1. Apparatus for supporting articles in a dishwasher, comprising: an open basket having opposite lateral sides; a pair of wheels on each said side with each pair of wheels vertically spaced to engage opposite sides of a supporting guide track that forms a part of said dishwasher; a pair of levers each movable about a fulcrum at a said lateral side and each lever rotatably carrying a wheel spaced from the corresponding fulcrum; linkage means of fixed length interconnecting said levers at areas spaced from said fulcrum for maintaining said vertical spacing of the wheels on moving said levers about their said fulcrums to adjust the position of said pair of wheels relative to their said basket side; and means for releasably retaining one of said levers in a selected one of a plurality of positions.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said one lever is elongated beyond said means for releasably retaining to provide a manipulating handle.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said linkage means comprises a link pivotally connected to each lever at the same distance from the respective wheels.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the corresponding levers on said opposite lateral sides are interconnected by a transverse portion at said fulcrum to provide a U-shaped lever system.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for releasably retaining comprises a vertical retainer on each side having a plurality of vertically spaced retainer portions for engagement by said one lever.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said one lever is elongated beyond said means for releasably retaining to provide a manipulating handle and the corresponding levers on said opposite lateral sides are interconnected by a transverse portion at said fulcrum to provide a U-shaped lever system.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said linkage means comprises a link pivotally connected to each lever at the same distance from the respective wheels.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said means for releasably retaining comprises a vertical retainer on each side having a plurality of vertically spaced retainer portions for engagement by said one lever.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said wheels are spaced substantially equal distances from their respective fulcrums.
 10. Apparatus for supporting articles in a dishwasher, comprising: an open basket having opposite lateral sides; a pair of wheels on each said side with each pair of wheels vertically spaced to engage opposite sides of a supporting guide track that forms a part of said dishwasher; support means for each pair of wheels including means to simultaneously adjust the vertical position of both of said pairs of wheels with respect to said basket; and means retaining Said support means in any one of a plurality of positions. 